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Messy Me Mat Review
Until recently, I have been leaving the “messy” playtime to nursery and play dates outside our home. Why? Well, I have this fear of the toddler running riot and covering everything in paint while I cry in a corner*. OK, a bit dramatic but you get the gist. We’ve dabbled in a few card-making projects but after reading his nursery reports, detailing how much he loves painting, I knew it was time! That’s where this Messy Me Splashmat comes in. It’s a wipe-clean mat that can go on the table or on the floor. Although it fold away quite neatly, it is actually holds it’s shape when laid out. It…
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Hacks for putting away the laundry – the stage I dread most!
Laundry Situation (setting the scene) Day 1 – Laundry nicely drying outside but it’s getting dark. Toddler has just been wrestled into bed by daddy. Baby finally gives in to sleep after a long fussy hour. Clothes are finally brought in but can’t be put away as the kids are asleep. Also it’s pudding time. Day 2 – Repeat of Day 1. Yes I did start on the putting away process during the day but toddler needed something urgently every few seconds. I mean someone has to get the car he’s just purposefully rolled under the sofa again! Day 3 – No laundry today. Some laundry piled on a free…
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Bambooty – our perfect cloth nappies for nursery
We had decided to use cloth nappies from the onset with our first baby. After 9 months, you could say we’d nailed it. But only at home and with family doing the changes. Being the first to use cloth nappies at the nursery, I wanted to make things as easy as possible. However, finding the perfect cloth nappies for nursery was a mini-journey but after a few false starts we found the right ones: Bambooty Easy Dry nappies. So what’s the big deal about them? One row of poppers They are as close to velcro as you can get but with poppers. With the one row of poppers, it is…
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The fourth trimester struggle is real – especially with added chicken pox!
It seems so long ago since the third trimester update. You probably don’t want the full birth story (well maybe in a separate post) so in short we walked in, Baby got pulled out then we left the next day. Suddenly the newborn memories we selectively forgot came flooding back! The crying, pooing, feeding, crying, pooing, feeding and sleeping (not just talk about baby here haha). Now that he’s 3 month old boy there’s a bit of playing thrown in there too. So what’s this Fourth Trimester thing? Apparently, it is the period after birth until your baby is 3 months old. It’s usually characterised by plenty of change in…
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Breast is best, fed is best, informed is best, let’s call the whole thing off!
It’s World Breastfeeding Week so naturally social media is full of controversial feeding-related posts around “Breast is best”, “Fed is best” and “Informed is best”. Is a feeding slogan needed? Probably not! Is it helpful? I very much doubt it! Does it raise awareness? Unlikely! Well, unless there women out there who do not know the biological function of boobs. I am currently breastfeeding our latest addition but I’m fully aware that there’s a wide spectrum between breast and bottle. Let’s take a moment to admire these beautiful breastpads by Bambooty and the look on Baby J’s face. He can see that the feeding gloves are off! I get a similar…
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Father’s day last minute Yoda card craft & present
I love a good craft project though what I lack in skill, I make up for in enthusiasm! My kids now give me the perfect excuse to indulge in various “holiday” crafts. Father’s day is no different. Yes, I know it’s made up. Yes, daddies should be celebrated all year round not just on one day. However, I’m not feeling it this year. Last year I, I mean we, made a card and got cute family photo magnets. I love looking at those on fridge. The good news is that I decided to make a card this year. But it’s the day before Father’s Day (a Saturday) and my husband…
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Baby J’s Due Date – May the Fourth Be With You
Baby J’s due date at the 12 week scan was 04 May, which to us, was just a date. It wasn’t until we got a few bemused, almost doubting responses, that we tweaked the significance. Not sure how my husband, who really loves Star Wars, managed to miss it! He can’t even blame the hormones haha. I quickly put together the below to share the news with the remaining friends and family. Could have done so much more if we’d realised sooner. And before we knew it, baby’s due date had come round. What better way to mark it than to dress my babies up in star wars vests and…
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Choosing a Name for our Second Baby
It’s getting really close to the wire and we’re yet to decide on a name for our second baby. First time round wasn’t easy but we eventually came to a decision for each gender with time to spare before the birth. This time round is proving more involving! Probably because we’re having the same gender again so can’t use our already prepared name. So what’s on the criteria list? 1. Complements the other names There are names that go well together and others that go too well together – like alliterations. Saying it out loud has really helped us weed out quite a few. We also write it down and…
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Maternity Leave: Expectation vs Reality
I worked up till a week before my due date, in the height of summer, so I was more than ready to start my maternity leave. I was looking forward to having more time to spend on me, baby and those projects I have been putting off. I had no close mummy friends yet for the “real” experience so phrases like ‘Bet you can’t wait to be on holiday for a year’ just fuelled my excitement. Oh the naivety! Expectation: Regular meet up with friends Reality: Leaving the house became a monumental task. On the rare occasion I made it on time, I felt I deserved a medal. In the…
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Walking With Two Under 2 – Double Buggy vs Baby Carrier vs Buggy Board
As a first-time mum-to-be, I did my fair share of pram-watching, making a mental note of brand names and imagined myself pushing my precious little bundle in them. Turns out there are a trillion options available which made the actual pram shopping experience a bit traumatic. I had to buy a stroller 10 months later as a travel system is just too faffy for a toddler. The fun doesn’t stop there, as I’ll have 2 under 2 soon so I’ll need a means of transporting them both. Or maybe I’ll just stay at home till the toddler can walk safely! So what are my options? Baby Carrier First child didn’t…
